Open The Colony All these fingers, and they're pointing at me // dissent

[Mothbite]

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Moth carefully watched the camp through the bare branches of the bush he hid in. It wasn't busy by any means, but it was far from empty. A few quiet groups of cats settled through the small clearing, mingling and sharing tounges. It was quiet - any movement he made would surely draw all eyes towards him.

He really didn't want to be spotted right now. He had just spent a few hours with the rest of Sable's gang, but had elected to head back to camp afterwards, while everyone else went hunting. Moth only realized his predicament afterwards - surely, when he got back, everyone would know where he had been, and without other cats to back him up, he would be at the mercy of whoever spotted him crawling back to camp. If he was lucky, there would only be a few,more mild-mannered cats there. But Moth had never been lucky before, and he definetly wasn't now. He spotted Serpent resting on the roots of a tree, overlooking the camp. Moth had seen the way she'd acted towards dissenters before, and wasn't keen on being the sole focus of her ire. But he didn't want to turn tail and run to the rest of the gang for help, either.

Mustering his courage, Moth slunk back into camp, as quietly as possible.

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--open--​

 

[serpentberry]

It's a bad day for the molly - and thus, a bad day for Moth, too.

Sleep is harder to hold despite her nest being so well maintained. Her stomach, though full, is obtuse and annoying. Her paws detest holding her upright for more than a few minutes and beyond that - there is little to nothing she can do to serve the colony. She can provide ointments and remedies but even then, she's began outsourcing to Cicada for help. She cannot hunt in her state, and her existence in camp is only to be an ever present reminder to others that she will be rendered useless for moons to come.

She grinds her teeth as her gaze surfs the camp's perimeter, unfortunately landing on the soft paws of Moth, and unfortunately deciding him as the feline to witness her poisoned wrath.

"Ohh, Moth~!" she beckons him with her tail, eyes partially narrowed as she tries to judge where the other has been. She notes how many of them are still missing from the colony's camp, and how many faces that she had seen twisted with malice and discontent for her partner. Her jaw continues to tense, "Your paws are so empty, friend. No luck hunting? Or did something else busy your attention?" she clicks her tongue with her words, staring him down no different than a snake might before they launch.

 

[Mothbite]

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indentAh, fuck. Moth freezes in place, tail stiff and fur puffed, when Serpent calls out to him. After regaining his senses, his eyes flick to Serpent, before focusing on the ground in front of him.

indent "Serpent! I, uh, had trouble hunting, yeah. Sorry."

indentHis lies are thinner than a butterfly's wing. If his guilty conscious doesn't give him away, his scent - which smelled a whole lot like Sable and not very much like mice - definitely will. Despite his impending doom, he still approaches Serpent, obediently. His head is hung low, and he keeps his gaze firmly locked on his paws. He was willing to take on whatever punishment Serpent found fit - after all, her disappointment will sting far more that anything else.

indentMoth was very fond of Serpent. When he was first shown up, weak and sickly, on the forests borders, she had been the one to nurse him back to health. He would wait patiently for her care - gratefully accepting whatever prey she brought him, and swallowing whatever herbs he was given without complaint. This gentleness was completely foreign to him. Sometimes he would wonder to himself, guiltily, if this is what it felt like, to be a looked after by a loving mother. The thoughts were always pushed out of his mind quickly, burning his ears with shame. After all, Serpent would have kits of her own soon, and wouldn't have time for him. N-not that she had been looking after him much, anyways! He was stronger now, able to hunt for himself and less prone to disease. Despite this, he couldn't help but long for more of her attention.

indentBut whatever relationship they did still have, Moth is pretty sure he's blown it.

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